· March, 2011

Stories about Middle East & North Africa from March, 2011

Syria: Reactions to President Assad's Speech

  30 March 2011

President Bashar Al Assad finally made a speech Wednesday 30 March, 2011, at the Syrian Parliament after days of postponement and anticipation. The president's arrival at the Parliament was met with thundering applause and chanting by the Members of Parliament, and his speech was often interrupted by an MP reciting poems of praise. Twitter users did not receive this well.

Serbia: Gaddafi's Cyber Army Oppose Rebels and NATO

  30 March 2011

A Facebook page entitled "Support for Muammar al-Gaddafi from the people of Serbia" has become a show of support for the controversial Libyan leader, with over 62,500 members. Libyan opposition activists have also reported cyber attacks on opposition websites coming from Serbia. Sasa Milosevic reports on the online support for Muammar al-Gaddafi in Serbia.

Bahrain: Prominent Blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif Arrested

  30 March 2011

Shortly after 3am local time, prominent Bahraini blogger Mahmood al-Yousif was arrested in his home. Before leaving with police officers, the blogger tweeted, "The police are here for me." His arrest was confirmed by both his brother and son.

USA: Al Jazeera's Future

  30 March 2011

Sana of Arab-American blog KABOBfest remarks on a new academic paper that looks at Qatari channel Al Jazeera's future in the United States.

Egypt: Demo to Free Mohamed Radwan

  30 March 2011

Egyptian blogger The Traveler Within writes about a demonstration in support of journalist Mohamed Radwan, arrested by Syrian security forces.

Lebanon: Ontornet instead of Internet

  29 March 2011

Frustrated with the very slow internet connection in Lebanon, a group of Lebanese bloggers started a campaign calling it “Ontornet” (“Ontor” in the Lebanese dialect means “wait”) to do something about it. They explained it all in this blog post.

Iran: “I am Comodo hacker”

  29 March 2011

Iranian hacker claimed responsibility over an attack on Comodo, a Jersey City, N.J.-based company that issues digital SSL certificates used by websites to validate their identity to visitors. The hacker wrote “I have no relation to Iranian Cyber Army.”

Syria: Complexity Behind the Protests

  29 March 2011

Unrest in Syria enters its second week, as anti-government protests continue in their bid to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Whilst it may seem that the unrest in Syria is a natural progression of the Arab revolution spreading throughout the region, there are unique dynamics in Syria that distinguish it from other Arab states.

Egypt: Inspiring UK Demonstrators?

  28 March 2011

A demonstrator in London's spending cuts protests on Saturday was seen wearing a T-shirt inspired from the Egyptian revolution. Jaydeepee shares the picture on flickr.

Egypt: The Egyptians Book

  28 March 2011

The Egyptians Book is out! It claims to be the new book for new Egypt, set up to help Egyptians “connect and share with the people in your life.”

Syria: Free Muhammed Radwan

  28 March 2011

Egyptian Chronicles comments on the arrest of Egyptian-American Muhammed Radwan in Syria under espionage charges here. His cousins Nora and Tarek Shalaby also share their thoughts.

An Interview with Andy Carvin

  28 March 2011

With 40,000 Twitter followers and a dedicated stream of local sources, Andy Carvin has become a first stop on Twitter for news throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In this interview with Carvin--an early Global Voices contributor and current NPR strategist--we find out how he uses Twitter to spread the news.

Egypt: Football Before and After the Revolution

  28 March 2011

In the past years, football (soccer) used to be the main source for joy for the Egyptian people. However it seems that the recent revolution that took place in Egypt has revolutionized all this. The loss of Egypt's national team to South Africa was even cheered by some.

Qatar: A World Cup in the Clouds

  28 March 2011

A report of a remote-controlled, solar-powered hovering shade, which could be used to cool soccer stadiums in Qatar, has taken on a life of its own, putting the small but wealthy Gulf nation in the spotlight once again. Whether or not these US $500,000 constructs will be gracing the stadia of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar though, remains to be seen.

Libya: Citizen Reporting from the Battlefield

  27 March 2011

Videos continue to seep out from war-torn Libya as protesters battle Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in a bid to overthrow his 42-year-old regime. Here is a selection of the latest videos taken by netizens on the frontlines of major cities where the battle for Libya is still fought.

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Mariam A.
Mariam A. is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.